Essential Oil for Dogs and Cats 

Essential oils have become common around the home for their therapeutic properties, and even cats and dogs can benefit from aromatherapy.

Certain oils have been found to keep fleas away, while others help pets with itching or arthritic pains. If you’re looking for an essential oil for dogs and cats, it is best to buy an oil that targets your pet’s particular problem.     

Can I Use Essential Oils On My Dog?

Are you wondering if you can use an essential oil on your dogs and cats? The answer is a qualified yes. Therapeutic grade essential oils can be used on dogs, but not perfume or aromatherapy grade. The oils should be unadulterated and pure in order to be effective and safe for use. Some oils may need to be diluted with a carrier oil before use.

1. Essential Oils for Dog Arthritis

Among the many oils good against pain in arthritic dogs are clove and rosemary. Lemongrass and wintergreen oils are excellent anti-inflammatory oils. Lemongrass may help with tissue regeneration.

2. Essential Oils for Calming Dogs

Lavender oil has some of the best calming effects on a nervous, rattled or stressed dog. Just rub a little on your dog and it will help calm the animal down. Clary sage also calms an excitable dog. Chamomile can help your dog relax and sleep better.

3. Essential Oils for Dogs Dry Skin

Carrot seed oil is excellent as an excellent topical treatment for dry skin. Coconut oil is a good carrier oil that reduces allergic reactions and helps provide relief from dry skin by moisturizing it.

4. Essential Oils for Itchy Dogs

Itching is often a combination of allergies, dry skin, fleas and ticks and other skin problems. A little lavender essential oil in some coconut oil or almond oil is useful against itchy skin. Massage the mixture into skin irritations, and it can kill bacteria, reduce itching and also calm nerves. Diluted chamomile oil is gentle, non-toxic and soothing on skin irritations and allergic reactions.

5. Essential Oils for Seizures in Dogs

Frankincense oil and lemongrass oils have been found to be beneficial for seizures in dogs. They can be rubbed in the pads below the feet for benefits.

6. Essential Oil Dog Shampoo

Essential oils can be mixed with your dog shampoo as well. Mix lavender oil and rosemary to combat fleas and moisturize, respectively, with coconut oil and castile soap for a homemade shampoo. But use only a few drops.

7. Essential Oils for Dog Ears

A mixture of a few drops of lavender oil, geranium oil, basil oil and frankincense oil with fractionated coconut oil makes a good spray for your dog’s ears. They are effective against infections of the ear, and lavender helps to repel fleas in the ear.

Essential Oils Bad for Dogs

Some essential oils like pennyroyal, citrus, cinnamon, peppermint, pine, cinnamon, sweet birch, ylang-ylang, wintergreen and tea tree oils are bad for dogs. Avoid them, as they can be toxic whether ingested or rubbed on the skin.

Cats Essential Oils

Cats are not able to metabolize the compounds in essential oils, so the oils can be toxic in high concentrations. But a little oil diffused in a room with plenty of ventilation is relatively safe, as long as the cat can leave if it wants to.

Essential Oils Toxic to Cats

The following oils have been known to be toxic to cats: pennyroyal, citrus, cinnamon, peppermint, pine, cinnamon, sweet birch, nutmeg, ylang-ylang, wintergreen and tea tree oils.

Essential Oils to Repel Cats

If you want to repel cats from entering your yard or home, use citrus, lemongrass, lime, peppermint and eucalyptus oils.

Overall, essential oils for dogs and cats are a herbal, chemical-free way to deal with fleas and other pet problems. Try to stick to low concentrations of the safer oils and your canine and feline pets may find relief.